KRI STINA RI S K A
KRI STINA RI S K A NEW WOR K M AY 6 – J U N E 5 , 2015
51 E 10 t h S T N YC 10 0 03 212 3 43 0 471 / F 0 47 2 info @ hos t le r b u r r ow s .co m
Hostler Burrows is pleased to announce an exhibition of new work by the artist Kristina Riska from Thursday, May 7, 2015 through Friday, June 5, 2015, with an opening reception on Wednesday, May 6, 2015 from 6 pm to 8 pm. For her first solo show in the United States, nearly a dozen new pieces will be on display, including both Riska’s large-scale vessels and smaller ceramic objets d’art. Kristina Riska is a Finnish artist who has been exploring, defying and redefining the traditional tenets of ceramic sculpture since the 1980s. Her unorthodox, large-scale stoneware and artworks, which are inspired by nature and the properties of light and shadow, embody her rigorous, physical approach to her work. New Work investigates Riska’s latest experiments in clay, which largely reflect her process, personal history and working environment. They are complex pieces imbued with a physical and emotional depth, which underpins her spontaneous working method. Riska says that her process is a foray into the unknown, and that with each unplanned, instinctive manipulation of the clay, she also establishes a non-physical “internal space.” She describes this space as a repository for her qualities of quietude, serenity and concentration, and also for a very specific memory of the interplay of light and shade cast upon her from the bars of her childhood cot. In an interview with Rae Verkkoranta from the Embassy of Finland in Brussels, Riska discusses this process of transference: “…out of all the thoughts that I have had, every touch of the hand, all the ambient sound…these things [sic] latch onto the work,” giving each piece in the exhibition the intangible quality of her own history.
Bodypart lll, 2014, ceramic sculpture, 55.1" H x 23.6" W
Bodypart IV, 2015, ceramic sculpture, 52" H x 18" W
The ethereal, elusive qualities of Riska’s pieces also reflect her ideals of sustainability. She meticulously avoids the superfluous, and works with a precision that conveys a striking effect with seemingly very little material. New Work exemplifies how Riska pushes the boundaries of both her medium and herself. Her latest undertaking has yielded fresh and sincere sculptures, impressive for their dynamism, a quality that permeates Riska’s personality, her physical methods, and the objects themselves. Riska is a graduate of the Department of Ceramic Art at the University of Art and Design, Finland. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the State of Finalnd’s Suomi Prize in 1995; the Medaglia D’oro in Faenza, Italy in 1995; a silver medal at the International Ceramic Contest in Mino, Japan, in 2002; and working grants from both The State of Finland and The Finnish Cultural Foundation. Riska’s works are part of many public and private collections, including The Design Museum Helsinki, The Saastamoninen Foundation, The Ulster Museum in Belfast, Ireland, and the Gifu Museum in Japan.
Bodypart V, 2015, ceramic sculpture, 55.1" H x 11.8 " W
Bodypart VI, 2015, ceramic sculpture, 55.1" H x 11.8" W
Bodypart VII, 2015, ceramic sculpture, 53.5" H x 14" W
Bodypart VIII, 2015, ceramic sculpture, 32" H x 28" W
Mama, 2014, ceramic sculpture, 49.2" H x 23.6" W
Animal, 2014, ceramic sculpture, 33.5" H x 18" W
Untitled (Basket), 2015, ceramic sculpture, H 11.8 " x W 23.6"
Bubble Urn 1, 2015, ceramic sculpture, H 47.2" x W 19.6"
Bubble Urn II, 2015, ceramic sculpture, 53" H x 18 " W
Bubble Urn III, 2015, ceramic sculpture, 55" H x 14" W
Bubble Urn IV, 2015, ceramic sculpture, 50.5" H x 17 " W
Basket Cylinder, 2014, ceramic sculpture, 32" H x 11" W